Cheese

 

The larger of our two cheeses is called Baserri, which means farmhouse in Basque. This cheese is a 4- to 5-pound tomme. The green Basque countryside in France and Spain is dotted with ancient tile-roofed baserris where Basque farmers still make their living in traditional ways, often milking their sheep by hand and making small batches of cheese that they sell locally. Our Baserri is made in that spirit, in small batches, by hand. It is a West Marin interpretation of the Basque cheeses you can buy from farmhouses in the Basque country.

Txiki, which means “little” in Basque, is a smaller version of Baserri, a 2-pound tommette-sized cheese made from the same recipe as Baserri. The shape produces a different relationship of paste to rind, and a slightly saltier flavor.

You can buy Baserri and Txiki at Cowgirl Creamery, at Oliver’s Market in Santa Rosa, Raymond & Co. in Glen Ellen, the Pasta Shop in Berkeley and Oakland, the Cheese Board in Berkely and Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco. You will also find it on the menu at Nick’s Cove Restaurant in Marshall, Osteria Stellina in Point Reyes Station, The Farm House in Olema, Quince in San Francisco, Marche in Menlo Park, and Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur.